Milford men take part in four-way kidney swap

[okarol]

Article published Aug 6, 2009
Milford men take part in four-way kidney swap
By Kathy Cleveland
Staff Writer
MILFORD – Three weeks ago, two Milford brothers went into Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center for surgery. One of them left the Lebanon hospital minus one of his kidneys. The other left with a new, healthy kidney.

But John Muir, who's been on dialysis since October, didn't get his brother's kidney. He got the kidney of a stranger after he and his brother, Travis Deihle, took part in a four-way "kidney swap."

John is 35 and has a wife and two sons. His health had been deteriorating since he was 17, when an infection from an ingrown toenail turned into IgA nephropathy, an autoimmune disease that affects the kidneys.

Travis wanted to donate a kidney to his brother, but he wasn't a compatible match. Then they learned about a program that's officially called a kidney paired donation, and he was able to help his brother anyway – by donating a kidney to a stranger.

Last week, the brothers were feeling good, and John has more hope for a long, healthier life.

Travis had laparoscopic surgery and will be back at work at MacMulkin Chevrolet in south Nashua in about four more weeks and, eventually, back to motocross racing.

By giving up a kidney, Travis helped John avoid a long and potentially fatal wait on the kidney transplant list.

There are now 2,929 people in New England on that list, according to Sean Fitzpatrick, director of public affairs for the New England Program for Kidney Exchange.

Since the kidney exchanges started in 2006, he said, there have been 13 swaps, which worked out to 44 transplants.

John, who worked as a plumber until he couldn't work any longer and also enjoyed participating in historic Scottish battle reenactments, must still avoid crowds, because the rejection medications interferes with his immune system.

But John is free from grueling dialysis treatments and no longer has to follow a restricted diet. At a recent family reunion at Lake Massasecum he happily devoured a huge submarine sandwich.

He used to suffer from restless leg syndrome, a common side effect of renal failure and laughs when he says it was his karmic punishment for making fun of the TV ads. But the condition was no joke.

"It was awful," he said. "I'd stay up all night pacing."

The July 15 surgeries were planned by the New England Program for Kidney Exchange, which tries to increase live kidney transplants by using a computer system to identify biologically compatible donor-recipient pairs.

Travis has no doubt he made the right decision and is happy to watch his brother begin to lead a normal life again.

"I couldn't sit back any longer and not see him live the life he wanted to live," he said.

Travis and his wife, Stefanie, have three sons, and Stefanie supported her husband's decision to give his kidney.

"I don't think people understand what's involved (in kidney paired donation) and how they can help," Stefanie said.

The four surgeries were carefully choreographed and done at the same time to make sure no one backed out. Within 10 minutes of its removal, Travis's kidney was on its way to a recipient in Connecticut.

For the New England Organ Bank, the Milford brothers' kidney exchange marked a milestone.

Ruthanne Hanto, program manager for the New England Organ Bank, said it was the first four-way exchange that involved four different transplant centers: Dartmouth-Hitchcock, Yale Medical Center in Connecticut and Beth Israel Deaconess and Brigham and Women's hospitals in Boston.

On average, she said, living kidneys last about twice as long as those that come from cadavers, and people who are not on dialysis can usually get a new kidney very quickly if they have someone to participate in the swap with them.

Although the identities of John's donor and Travis's recipient are confidential, Travis was told the person who has his kidney is doing well and is very thankful.

John doesn't know anything about his donor. It's his brother he feels gratitude toward.

"I wouldn't have gotten it without him," he said.

http://www.cabinet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/NS/20090806/MILFORD01/308069969